Selflessness was Moeen Ali’s greatest asset as an international cricketer. This made him one of England’s most-loved modern cricketers. Yet when it came to amassing statistics that showcased his talents, this selflessness was his biggest curse.

His last Test series, in the 2023 Ashes, encapsulated his career. Initially picked as a bowling all-rounder at No 8, Moeen volunteered to bat at No 3 midway through the third Test, to allow Harry Brook to shuffle down to his favoured role at No 5. Once again, Moeen had sacrificed his personal needs for the good of the side.

Opening, No3, No4, No5, No6, No7, No8 and even No9: Moeen batted in them all over his Test career. While at his best as a free-scoring middle-order batsman, he embraced standing in as opener against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates in 2015. He batted at No8 in 22 Test matches, a berth which many considered was too low to maximise his batting talent.

In an age when private schools function as hyper-professionalised academies, Moeen’s career was a triumph for his individual talent, emerging from inner-city Birmingham. He embraced his status as a Muslim role model, and did far more to inspire a new generation of cricketers than scores of English administrators.

Before winning Test selection, Moeen was primarily a batsman in county cricket. Five Test centuries – two apiece against India and Sri Lanka and one against Pakistan – and a final Test average of 28.12 were not a proper reflection of his capabilities. Yet, while his batting talent was such that Moeen will feel he should have averaged in the mid-30s, his 204 Test wickets, at an average of 37.31, reflected how he developed his off-spin for England’s needs. Only two spinners – Derek Underwood and Graeme Swann – have taken more Test wickets for England.

It was not in Moeen’s nature to be a containing bowler. But his drift, turn and bounce could combine to produce deliveries that could flummox the world’s best: Virat Kohli, who Moeen dismissed six times in Tests, could attest to as much.